An introduction to sustainability in textiles

 
In this blog post you will be taken through 3 key aspects of sustainable textiles. These are the Textiles Environment Design project (TED), the Slow Textiles Movement, and Design for disassembly. Every textile student and practitioner should have some knowledge and consider the ethics of textile production in their practice. You are probably already aware that sustainability in textiles is about avoiding the depletion and pollution of natural resources; it also implies wider ethical and social responsibilities. Worldwide the textile industry suffers from a bad reputation. It is one of the worst polluters and it’s huge consumption of natural resources causes enormous environmental and social damage.  Historically the industry has a long history of poor practices dating back to the 18th Century where workers particularly in northern England where treated similarly to the slaves of the West Indies. Environmental damage included heavily polluted waterways, destroying wildlife including water voles, salmon and otters that have not recovered to preindustrial numbers.
In the twenty-first century the textile industry is no longer predominantly based in the west. Manufacturing has moved to countries like India, China and Brazil, which have historically provided raw materials to western markets. Outsourcing to factories in the new industrial countries makes it increasingly difficult to ensure that ethical practices are being adhered to and, as during the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century, many instances of human rights abuse and environmental destruction are now surfacing.
During the later decades of the 20th century a movement of environmental awareness grew in textiles, farming and wider industrial production. This has grown into a twenty-first phenomenon where some of the most creative minds in textiles are working on some of the most pressing issues in textile manufacture.
1. Textiles Environment Design (TED)
TED has been developing a set of practice based sustainable design strategies over the last 10 years.They enable designers to create textiles and textile products that have a reduced impact on the environment.  The group is driven by the idea that there is a clear responsibility on the role of the designer to consider environmental and social costs. The group have a growing archive of research projects that have explored aspects of sustainability and textile design. These are both collaborative (staff and students) and individual practice-based projects. Top 100 is an experimental and collaborative recycling project led by Professor Becky Earley that has now been going for over 15 years. The principle being that discarded garments (shirts) can be upcycled by designing for new lives, adding value to otherwise waste products. The process provokes discussion, collaboration and problem solving leading to new ideas for design and ethical production. For more information on all the TED research projects go to their website.  http://www.tedresearch.net

2. Slow Textiles Movement
In her book Slow Stitch, Claire Wellesley-Smith writes “The idea of a Slow Movement has been applied to many things but all look at slowing the pace of life and making a deliberate decision to do so. It is a philosophy that embraces local distinctions and seasonal rhythms, and one that encourages thinking time.” Page 6. The Slow Textiles Movement came about in response to twentieth century fast fashion, an industry led drive to encourage an ever more rapid consumption of fashion. The slow down of consumers and designers prioritises time for consideration, encouraging a greater value of resources, human and material.The Slow Textiles Group run textile design workshops and textile-based events in the UK to share skills, promote well-being, thoughtful group practice, time for collective talking and encouraging an interconnected ethos. https://slowtextilesgroup.com
3. Design for Disassembly
Design for disassembly is a design concept that is influencing a wide range of manufactured products including textiles and fashion. It involves some straightforward tactics making it easier for a product to be repaired or upgraded, therefore prolonging its useful life. It ensures the product is recycled and components are reused adopting a ‘cradle-to-cradle’ life cycle. The initiative has resulted in the production of checklists and design recommendations that attempt to promote reuse of components. This is usually developing products that can easily be taken apart or using non-composite fabrics that can be recycled.  Professor Kate Fletcher is a fashion and sustainability pioneer and member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion at the House of Lords. As author and consultant Kate Fletcher is concerned with promoting textile and fashion production that considers the garments life cycle, including innovation in materials, manufacture, distribution, use and reuse.   http://katefletcher.com
Hopefully this short introduction to sustainability in textiles will have brought to your attention not only the importance of ethically driven judgments but also the breadth of the inventive thinking. As an OCA textile student and consumer of textiles you can be part of this growing movement making design and consumer choices that affect us all.
Bibliography
Fletcher. K.  (2014) Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design journeys.  Oxford: Routledge
Fletcher. K. & Grose. L. (2012) Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change. London: Laurence King
Wellesley- Smith. C.  (2015) Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art London: Batsford
Further Reading
Braungart. M. & McDonough. W. (2009) Cradle to Cradle. Remaking the way we make things. London: Vintage
Hallett. C & Johnson. A. (2010) Fabric for Fashion: A comprehensive guide to natural fibres. London: Laurence King
Hemmings. J. (2012) The Textile Reader. Oxford: Berg Publications
Minney. S. (2016) Slow Fashion. Oxford: New Internationalist
Siegle. L.  (2011) To Die For: Is fashion wearing out the world? London: Fourth Estate
Thompson. R. (2013) Sustainable Materials, Processes and Production. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd
Websites and videos
The Slow Textiles Group Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SlowTextilesGroup/about/?entry_point=page_nav_about_item&tab=page_info
Professor Becky Earley, website and blog http://www.beckyearley.com/about-ba/
Professor Becky Earley – Upcycling Textiles, from the Textiles Futures Research Centre https://vimeo.com/52003408
Professor Kate Fletcher from Centre for Sustainable Fashion https://vimeo.com/58100420
Dr Kate Goldsworthy http://www.kategoldsworthy.co.uk
Dr Kate Goldsworthy – Closing the Loop, from the Textiles Futures Research Centre https://vimeo.com/52003414
Zero Waste Conference 2014 Textiles in Focus, Lewis Perkins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt_gR6gAdzs